Rassie Erasmus has done the rugby world a gigantic favour – and by rugby world, I mean every rugby playing nation and fan out there.
He has put his career on the line for something he truly believes in, and he has said as much in his now infamous video.
He has done this to highlight an ongoing issue that has been seen but not addressed for as long as we can all remember in this sport – one of perceived bias.
I make this statement because the rules of rugby should be conceived as more of a social compact than a set of absolutes enforced with ruthless efficiency.
This is well known to fans, teams and their administration. There are already several administrative processes in place that try to manage this aspect of the game.
Various communication channels between teams and the the referee have been set up in order to mitigate and address such issues.
This is because we can all imagine games where a) the referee blows up every infringement without fail and we watch a game that ends with three players on either side and lasts four hours, or b) the referee allows a free-for-all where the teams beat each other to a pulp without any punitive outcome.
Neither of these is a desirable outcome, nor do these outcomes make for an interesting sport worth watching. And in this context, the referee’s role is invaluable.
He must allow the game to progress while enforcing its rules to the best of his ability.
The outcome of this requirement is that the referee is the final arbiter of the way a rugby game proceeds, and he forms a social contract with the players that they agree to adhere to or else face some sort of punitive discipline during the course of the game.
We also know that each team has an opportunity to meet with the referee prior to the match to discuss his interpretation of the laws, the areas that World Rugby is currently focused on addressing (which Erasmus highlighted in his video), and areas of play the referee intends to marshal strictly (which seems to differ between games and referees).
This opportunity is provided because of the nature of the sport and the desire to make the game both fair and enjoyable to watch.
Rugby is unfortunately ‘rules-tastic’ – there are many, constantly evolving, rules to the game.
Further, each team in a match is constantly breaking those rules to reach the boundary of what is ‘acceptable’ (this is something coaches and teams express regularly and the language they use in doing so is again indicative of the primary importance of the social contract with the referee, rather than strict adherence to rules).
Referees cannot and will not punish every infringement that occurs for fear that the sport itself will be ruined.
If the sport of rugby is based on a social compact between the teams and their referee, what is any party to this contract to do when that referee applies his interpretation of the rules inconsistently or does not apply the areas of focus he discussed with the teams prior to the match?
The only possible outcome of such inconsistency is perceived bias.
Any rugby fan will know that this issue has always plagued the sport, and that the only mitigating factor within the framework of the contract is the consistent and even-handed application of the referee’s interpretation of the rules (within the boundaries of player safety).
What do we do when that doesn’t happen? Well, up until now, we could do nothing because we imagined some sort of line that could not be crossed.
But Rassie did something – and was criticised for crossing the line.
Instead, we should thank him for speaking out – all of us should – because by doing so, he has addressed something fundamental to the game, and improved it.
Neil B
Roar Rookie
Yes. I only recently found the site. I'm glad they have! LOL.
piru
Roar Rookie
The ex-forward refs tend to get left behind by the ex backs by about 3rd grade in my experience, more's the pity
Wally James
Roar Guru
In my view the rubbish that happens in every series and practically every game is that fans/coaches/players don’t accept the ref’s decision and get on with concentrating on their own game.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
More so to those that are ignorant to the fact!!! Sad as!!
elvis
Roar Rookie
Save the black armband for people who fall for that rubbish.
BlouBul
Roar Rookie
It is pretty lame excuse to say application of laws will kill the game. That would indicate there is a serious problem with the laws.
GregM
Roar Rookie
not John Gotti's lawyer Bruce Cutler is it? (won 3 aquittals for the crime boss - ok ok bribing jurors helped)
GregM
Roar Rookie
piru - at least that way they'll get the scrum penalties right. that should shut Brian Moore up - for a while anyway
GregM
Roar Rookie
while we may have some level of unconcious bias, we also have a brain, a brain that allows a referee to say to himself "the rule book states XXXX" or "as much as i hate this team, that was a legitimate try so i must award it."
GregM
Roar Rookie
maybe the ref eyes were too beady & close together - that why Rassie doesn't like him?
GregM
Roar Rookie
"Can you imagine brought up in the rugby culture of SA or NZ where everyone aspires to being a bok or AB and obviously that includes the refs (before they were refs). " - that may explain the woeful one sided refereeing in the good ol days when teams played in SAf, but as referees are from neutral countries - how is it relevant?
GregM
Roar Rookie
& lets not forget the implied racist view as Kolisi didn't think he was being shown respect.
GregM
Roar Rookie
smacks of arrogance like when Louis Luyt was in charge.
GregM
Roar Rookie
so if Rassies complaint is about consistency maybe he should have been consistent by showinf missed infringements againts both sides
GregM
Roar Rookie
to support his claim he should have shown where a SAf player was picked up for illegal play while a BIL player was not penalised for the identical infringement – did he do that? if he did that will show consistency, or lack there of
GregM
Roar Rookie
"Any illegal slowing of the ball in the ruck is material since it means the defence can get set." - bring back rucking, that'll get them hands off the ball & stop bodies laying on the wring side.
GregM
Roar Rookie
if Rassie were dinkum he would have posted mistakes against both sides, not a one eyed "the ref is against us" rant
GregM
Roar Rookie
the punishment needs to be monetary with a considerable numbers or zeroes after it. Can't post a video online again? big deal. forced to pay lots and lots of $$$ will make them think twice
GregM
Roar Rookie
has anyone recorded how many infringements were missed against BOTH sides for comparison? So if Rassie says there was bias aganst the Boks, maybe this would prove something completely different or parity against legitimate mistakes by the ref. And has anyone taken into consideration the view from the referees prosition on the field where their view may be blocked for certain infringements
adam smith
Roar Rookie
And that’s the point Neil, lot’s of people coming forward to support Rassie while supposedly unbiased. But no comments (or articles/videos) when it’s the contrary.